Bryce Young bust-watch: 1 free agent, 1 draft prospect, 1 trade Panthers can replace QB with

The Carolina Panthers are 0-2 after an excruciating 23-3 loss at home to the Los Angeles Chargers. Through two weeks, Carolina has been outscored 70-13. Young has a combined 244 passing yards during that span, with zero touchdowns and three interceptions.

On Sunday, the former No. 1 pick averaged 3.2 yards per pass attempt. That just can't happen. The Panthers' issues extend far beyond Young, but he is the natural focal point for a fandom in distress. It's impossible to mount a successful season without a semi-productive quarterback. So far, Young has been the worst signal-caller in the league. It's not much of a competition either.

Young has not exactly received a "fair shake." The Panthers' offensive line is a mess, the wide receiver corps is mediocre at best, and the defense has applied minimal resistance through two games. A lot of forces are conspiring against Young, but even so, he just can't look this bad every week. The Panthers can't allow it to happen.

Even if you're a believer in Young long term — even if you think these problems are not his fault — something has to change. Rather than letting Young's confidence take a hit on a weekly basis, the Panthers should probably consider moving him to the backup role. A step back, a chance to reset and watch from a distance, could be what Young needs to avoid slipping irreversibly into disarray.

There are replacement options out there if the Panthers care to find 'em. Here are a few to consider — one free agent, one trade target, and one potential NFL Draft replacement.

Panthers should try to tempt Ryan Tannehill out of retirement

Was Ryan Tannehill effective last season before his injury? Not really. There's a reason the Tennessee Titans stuck with Will Levis short and long-term, sending the 36-year-old into a quasi-retirement stage. Tannehill has said that he's open to an NFL return, but only if the stars align. He wants a good situation, both financially and in terms of competitiveness.

Carolina shouldn't have trouble dropping off a nice check at Tannehill's bank. The issue is convincing Tannehill to stand behind the NFL's worst offensive line with a basement-level WR corps and not much of a chance at contending.

That's what money is for, though, and if the Panthers lob enough cash in Tannehill's direction with a guaranteed starting job, there's a chance he puts his cleats back on. Last season was a struggle for Tannehill, who confronted the athletic limitations inherent to his age, but we can reference a decade-plus of solid quarterbacking from Tannehill when making the case for Carolina to sign him.

First and foremost, he's a great vet to mentor Young. Carolina isn't going to give up on its No. 1 pick this easily, nor should they. I am not confident, hell, nobody is. But even if you're putting Young on the bench, there has to be some level of investment in his future. Tannehill has been around the block a few times. He knows how to handle adversity and he knows what it takes to build (and sustain) a winning culture.

The Panthers already have Andy Dalton in-house, but Tannehill is clearly the best free agent quarterback on the market, even with valid concerns tied to his age and injury history.

Panthers should call the Broncos about Zach Wilson (yes, seriously)

Okay, okay, okay. I know what you're going to say. I get it. Truly.

That said... the QB trade market is, understandably, very limited. Most teams don't even roster a third quarterback beyond the practice squad. Those that do generally have some level of uncertainty at the position, such as the Cleveland Browns. The reason Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston are both on the roster is because Deshaun Watson's immediate ability (not to mention his future on the roster) are up for debate.

There just aren't many teams looking to sell off their QB2, and those that are generally have a reason. The Panthers aren't going to land Michael Penix Jr. from the Falcons without a Bryce Young-type trade package and, well, we know how that risk can spoil. The best backups are off limits, and as such, Carolina has few viable trade options. I am sorry to say it, none are more appealing than Zach Wilson of the Denver Broncos.

Maybe the Panthers should angle for Jarrett Stidham instead, but Wilson is a 25-year-old, former top-3 pick with tons of natural talent. He couldn't put the pieces together in New York, but that franchise is a mess top to bottom. Wilson has received nothing but rave reviews in Denver, but he's stuck behind a highly-touted rookie and the more "sturdy" Stidham, which leaves him totally gettable as a trade target.

Wilson has a canon arm and the mobility to stretch a defense with his legs. He is not the safest option perhaps, but Wilson carries some level of upside if he can check his worst instincts and lean on his unique athletic gifts. Now, Carolina almost definitely isn't the best situation to bring the most out of Wilson, but what other options are out there? The Panthers can absolutely justify handing the reins to Zach Wilson, which is both an indictment of Young and a soft endorsement of just punting this season and trying to put a better team around Young in 2025.

Panthers should set their sights on Texas QB Quinn Ewers

The Texas Longhorns are riding high as the No. 1 team in college football after a dominant Week 3 victory over UTSA. Quinn Ewers actually got hurt, which set the stage for our first taste of future NFL Draft darling Arch Manning, but this is Ewers' team and it should remain that way through the season. Before suffering the abdominal strain, which has him listed as 'week-to-week' on the Texas injury report, Ewers was a betting favorite to win the Hiesman Trophy.

Ewers will turn 22 a month before the 2025 draft. He's probably the most appealing talent in a weak QB class, blessed with the ability to deliver the football from wacky angles, keeping the defense in a constant state of unease. He doesn't run the football prolifically, but Ewers navigates pressure and stretches a defense as well as any quarterback in college football.

He needs to clean up his decision-making, the same as most rookie QBs, but Ewers is 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, blessed with a canon arm and supreme confidence in the pocket. With all due respect to Bryce Young, that sure as hell sounds like a better option to me.

If the Panthers spend what is sure to be a high first-round pick on another quarterback, it will be universally read as an admission of failure on the Bryce Young front. With a free agent or trade, Carolina can take a more short-term approach to shelving Young. Picking Ewers next spring would all but insure that Young is not the QB of the future in Carolina. From there, it's a matter of how much the Panthers can swindle from a team in trade talks, assuming there's even a market for Young's services.

The dust has not settled on the 2025 QB class — Shedeur Sanders has a powerful arm and plenty of experience behind a bad O-line, while Carson Beck has prototypical size and sharp wits — but Ewers feels like the presumptive favorite to go near the top of boards, which is where Carolina is sure to reside.